SAO PAULO: Dilma Rousseff,the hand-picked candidate of Brazils hugely popular President,was poised to replace him as leader of Latin Americas biggest nation as voters began casting ballots on Sunday in a runoff election. Rousseff,a 62-year-old former Marxist guerrilla and career bureaucrat,held a comfortable lead in opinion polls and was bolstered by the support of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,her political mentor,in the contest with centrist Jose Serra.

Junta mouthpiece warns against poll boycott

YANGON: Myanmars state media on Sunday warned that citizens must vote without fail in the upcoming election and accused those advocating a boycott of misleading the people. Every citizen who values democracy and wants democratic rule must cast their votes without fail, said an editorial in the New Light of Myanmar newspaper,a junta mouthpiece,ahead of the first elections in 20 years on November 7. However,some people are inciting the people to refrain from voting in the elections. They are attempting to mislead the people, it said.

Top Nepal leaders to meet in UK to end crisis

Kathmandu: The UK,which is one of the biggest economic donors of Nepal,is holding a key meeting of top political leaders in London to end the standoff over the election of a new prime minister that has stalled the 2006 peace process in the country. Britains Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition government has invited senior leaders of the main Opposition UCPN-Maoist and the two key partners in the caretaker government,Nepali Congress and CPN (UML),for a meeting in London,the nepalnews online reported.

18 militants killed in Pak airstrikes

PESHAWAR: Eighteen Taliban militants and two women were killed on Sunday in air strikes and clashes in the Orakzai and Bajaur tribal regions and the Swat valley in Pakistans restive northwest,security officials said. At least 12 militants were killed and eight injured in the bombardment. In the Bajaur Agency,three militants and two women were killed when the gunships targeted Tob Mandal,Markhundai and other suburban areas of Salarzai sub-division.

Arrest warrant against Khaledas son

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DHAKA: A Bangladesh court on Sunday issued an arrest warrant against the younger son of former PM and main Opposition leader Khaleda Zia in connection with a money laundering case. The Special Judges Court-3 issued the arrest warrant Arafat Rahman Koko,now in Bangkok for treatment. The court fixed November 30 for the next hearing against the son of Zia,the chief of BNP.